>BREAKING NEWS- Ali Shakouri-Rad Released from Prison on Bail

Thursday October 28th, 2010 – Ali Shakouri-Rad, representative of the residents of Tehran in the 6th Parliament and a member of the Islamic Iran Participation Front, was released from prison on bail today, Thursday October 28th, 2010.

Shakouri-Rad was arrested on October 12th after publishing a response to Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje’i entitled “One Disaster after Another”. In his response, Shakouri-Rad described the new contradictions and lies and stated: “After Judge Mortazavi, who was a truly a historical phenomenon in our judicial system, Mr. Mohseni Eje’i is beginning to slowly demonstrate that he too has the tendency to become a phenomena; the difference being that Judge Mortazavi had the intelligence NOT to make matters personal and as a result was able to save himself from demise, building alliances with prosecutors and remaining as part of the judiciary for 10 years. Unfortunately, Mr. Mohseni Eje’i does not possess such a reputation. It is therefore highly unlikely that he will survive much longer, particularly as Speaker.”

In the past few days, a number of physicians and university professors published a letter to the head of the judiciary demanding that Shakouri-Rad a well known and hard working physician be released from prison. Last week a protest also took place at Sina Hospital where Shakouri-Rad used to practice. During that protest, Dr. Khedmat, Shakouri-Rad’s wife, quoted the Health Minister as saying that the Ministry of Health is pursuing Shakouri-Rad’s release. Both Shakouri-Rad’s sister and son had also published a number of memos on his behalf. In one of the memos written to request her brother’s release from prison, Shakouri-Rad’s sister stated: “As I think of our loved ones today, I can’t help but ask the question, what happened? How did the ruling government take over our lives, our livelihood and our reputation?”

Shakouri-Rad’s son also published a letter addressing his father’s interrogators stating: “I pity the interrogator who is wasting his life these days pressuring a man like my father.”